Elevator construction



March l, 1949,

A. D. STRACHAN eets-Sheet l Filed Feb. 12, 1948 ,1-,7 Czwszwffz IIIIIIIIIJF 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A. D. STRACHAN ...'lllllllllllllJlnfllu. l

ELEVATOR CONSTRUCTION March 1, 1949.

Filed Feb. 12, 1948 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 1, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

provision for adjustment of both rails bodily in a horizontal direction parallel with a side wall of the elevator shaft to which the bracket is fastened, and also with provision for independent adjustment of each rail bodily in a horizontal.

direction at right angles to said wall, thereby to facilitate the proper installation of all of the guide rails of the elevator and enable the same to be expeditiously, properly and accurately positioned relatively to each other and relatively to the walls of the elevator shaft and to the car.

To this end I have provided an improved elevator apparatus and a novel .rail-supporting bracket therefor` all of which, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, may be constructed as set forth in the following description, the several novel features of the invention being particularly pointed out and defined in the claims at the close of the description.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional plan view of an elevator installation constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of my new rail-supporting bracket attached to one of the walls of the elevator shaft.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is an elevation of the parts of F'ig. 3 as viewed from the left.

Figure 5 is a front elevation of the channel insert hereinafter described.

Figures 6 and 7 are details, full size, relating to the channel insert shown in Fig. 5, Figura 6 being a section on line 6-5 of Fig. 7.

Figure 8 is a sectional detail hereinafter described.

Having reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings, ll] shows in plan view an elevator car that is raised and lowered within an elevator shaft by any suitable means (not shown), said shaft being defined by the side walls l, 2, 3 and 4. At H is shown the counterweight for car 10 which is connected as usual with the latter so as to move up and down in unison therewith.

Car I 0 is guided in its up and down movements by a pair of Vertical rails |2 and la while the counterweight ll is guided in its up and down movements by a pair of rails l-'l and I.

In building an elevator apparatus it is essentlal that all of the guide rails be fixed in positions where they are truly Vertical with the rails of each pair disposed a predetermined distance apart and alined opposite each other. My invention makes it possible to meet these requirements with ease and dispatch mainly through the provision of a novel composite rail-supporting bracket that is indicated generally at IG in Fig. 1 and further illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and li, said bracket being fixed in position against wall ft and serving to support the two guide rails 42 and |4. While I have herein shown but one bracket l it is to be understood that the wall 4 would be equipped with a Vertical row of spacedapart brackets like that shown at 16 for supporting the two rails in their proper positions.

As shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 the bracket 15 comprises an angle-iron shelf member ll' made with a fiat horizontal apprcximately rectangular flange |8 provided at its rear with a fiat depending approximately rectangular fiange |9 that is seated against the face of wall ll and to which latter it is securely fastened by two bolts 23,

Seated upon the horizontal fiange I B of shelf member |1 are two angle-iron brackets 2! and 22, the bracket 2| being disposed with its two flanges approximately parallel with the fiange E9 of shelf member l'l and the bracket 22 being opposite one end of bracket 2| with its two fianges disposed approximately at right angles to said fiange IS of the shelf member.

The fiange 23 of angle bracket 2! serves as a base and is seated fiatwise upon the top of the horizontal fiange IB of the shelf member where it is securely fastened in place by two bolts 213. The Vertical flange 25 of angle bracket Z! is disposed in a position to provide a seat for the guide rail l2 (Figs. 1 and 3) whose base is securely fixed in position against the same by means of two clamps provided at opposite eides thereof, each of said clamps comprising an apertured jaw 28 overlapping the adjacent marginal portion of the base of rail 12 and a bolt 27. Each bolt 21 extends through the aperture of its jaw 2G and through an aperture provided in the vertical fiange 25 of the angle bracket 2|, the inner end of said bolt being provided with a nut 23 which is set up tight to cause jaw 2% to clamp the rail securely in position.

The fiange 23 of angle bracket 22 serves as a base and is seated fiatwise upon the top of the horizontal flange |8 of shelf member l 'l where it is securely fastened in place by two bolts 31|. The Vertical fiange 3| of angle bracket 22 is disposed in a position to provide a seat for the counterweight guide rail 14 (Figs. 1, 2 and 4) whose base is securely fixed in position against the same by means of two clamps provided at opposite sides of the rail 111, each of said clamps comprising an apertured jaw 32 overlapping the adjacent marginal portion of the base of rail 13 and a bolt 33. Each bolt 33 extends through the aperture of its jaw 32 and through an aperture provided in the Vertical fiange 31, the inner end.

of said bolt being provided with a nut 34 which is set up tight to cause jaw 32 to clamp rail 111. securely in position.

The bolts 311 (Fig-s. 2 and 4) by' which angle bracket 22 is fixed in position upon shelf member 1'1 extend through registering elongate slots 35V and 36 formed, res'pectively, in base flange 29 of angle bracket 22 and in the horizontal fiange 18 of shelf member 1'1, all of said slots being perpendicular to the fiange 19 of the latter thereby to lprovide for adjustment of langle bracket 22 toward and from the wall ll in order to aline the rail 14 (Fig. 1) with the rail 15. the slots 35 and 36 (Fig. 2) are considerab'ly greater than the diameters of the bolts 31) and therefore the maximum extent of such adjustment is approximately equal to the sum of the lengths of either pair of slots 35 and 36 minus the diameter of the lbolt occupying the same.l It is also true that a loose fit is provided between each bolt and its slots so as to provide for limited adjustment of the angle bracket swivelly.

The bolts 211 (Figs. 2 and 3) by which angle 'z bracket 21 is fixed in position upon shelf member 1'1 extend through registering elongate slots 3'1 and 38 formed, respectively, in base flange 23 of angle bracket 2| and in the horizontal fiange 18 of shelf member 1'1, all of said slots being perr pendicular to the fiange 119' of the latter thereby to provide for adjustment of angle bracket 21 toward and from the wall 4. The length of each slot 3'1 and 38 is considerably greater than the diameter of its bolt and therefore the maximum extent of such adjustment is equal to the sum of the lengths of the slots of each 'pair' minus the diameter of the bolt occupying the same. A loose fit is also provided between each bolt and its slots so as to provide for limited swivel adjustment of the angle bracket.

Embedded horizontally within wall 4 flush with the surface thereof is a channel insert 39 (Figs. 2, 3 and 5) of usual construction withinwhich the heads of the bolts 20 are confined so that when the nuts of bolts 20 are loose the shelf member 1'1 and its bolts are free to be adjusted horizontally in a direction approximately parallel with Wall 4. At the same time it is possible, when the nuts of bolts 23 (Fig. 2) are loosened, to adjust angle bracket 21 and rail 12 perpendicularly with respect to channel insert 39 and wall 4. Thus, through adjustment of the rail 12 -in these two directions said rail may be secured in a Vertical position and accurate'ly located within the elevator shaft. f

Each bolt 211 (Figs. 5, 6 and 7) is, as usual, equipped with a rectangular washer 14| disposed within channel insert 39 and formed with oppositely disposed laterally projecting lugs 42 occupying positions at opposite sides of the rectangular head of the bolt. These washers are loosely fitted to the interior of the channel insert and The lengths of each serves to hold its bolt against rotation when the nut of the latter is operated. -At 43, Fig. 5,

is shown the usual passageway through which the heads of the bolts 20 and their washers 41 may be inserted into and removed from the channel insert 39.

The counterweight rail (Fig. 1) is fastened by clamps 44 to one of the fianges of an angular bracket 35 whose other flange is seated against wall fi and formed with apertures for the reception of tw'o bolts 29a projecting froma channel insert 39a, that is embedded in wall 4 after the manner of channel insert 39. While the bolts fla are loose it is possible to adjust angle bracket 35 and rail 15 toward or from rail 14 to dispose the two rails at the proper distance apart to receive the counterweight 11 between them after which bolts a are set up tight.

To aline the two rails 14 and 15 opposite each other the angle 22 is adjusted toward or from the wall ll to the extent necessary after which the bolts (Fig. 2) are set up tight.

The rail 13 may be secured to the wall 2 of the shaft in any suitable manner, but as shown in Fig. l of the drawings I may lprovide a channel insert 39h embedded horizontally in said Wall to which an angular shelf member 16h, similar to the shelf member 16 above described, is fastened by means of two 'bolts 20h projecting from 'said channel insert. Seated upon shelf member 16h is an angular bracket 21h similar to the above described angular bracket 21 and, like the latter, having its base flange adjustably fastened by means of bolts 24a to the top horizontalfiange of bracket member 1619. Rail 13 is fastened to the other Vertical flange of zbracket 21h by'clamps 46.

After all of the rails and brackets have been accurately secured in place within the elevator shaft 1-2-3-4 a, drill is driven through the horizontal fianges of the angular brackets 2-1, 22 and 21h and through the horizontal flanges of the two shelf members 1'1 for the reception of dowels 43' (Figs. l and 8) by which the angular brackets and the shelf members are positively locked against relative displacement during use of the elevator. These dowels may, as shown in Fig. 8, be in the form of bolts provided with nuts 41 by which they are securely held in place.

What I claim is:

1. In an elevator structure, the combination with a car; 'a pair of vertically disposed rails for guiding said car in its up and down movements; a counterweight, and a pair of vertically disposed rails for guiding said counterweight in its up and down movements, of means for supporting said guide rails fixedly in their operative positions, said means including a horizontal shelf member, a bracket member fixed in position upon said shelf member to which one of the guide rails for the car is secured and by which said rail is supported at a predetermined distance from the other guide rail for the car; a second bracket member fixed in position upon said shelf member to which one ofrthe guide rails for the counterweightis s'ecured and by whichisaid rail is supported in alinement with the other eounterweight-guiding rail, and means connecting said shelf member with a supporting fixture so that it is adjustable thereon horizontally to eflect alinement of said car-guiding rails.

2. In an elevator structure the combination of claim 1 wherein there is also provided a third br'acket member to which said other counterweight-guiding rail is secured, and means fixedly connecting said third bracket member with said supporting fixture so that it is -adjustable hori- 5 zontally thereon toward and from said shelf member thereby to dispose said cou ter'\veight-guiding rails a predetermined distance apart.

3. In an elevator structure, the combination With a car; a pair of vertically disposed rails for guidng said car in its up and down movements; a, counterweight, and a pair of verticaily disposed rails for guiding said counterweight in its up and down movements, of means for supporting said guide rails fixedly in their operative positions, said means including a horizontal shelf member, a bracket member on said shelf member to which one of the guide rails for the car is secured, means for securing said bracket member in a fixed position on said shelf member butl with provision for independent adjustment thereof toward and from the other car-guiding rail thereby to dispose said oar-guiding rails a predetermined distance apart, a second bracket member on said shelf member to which one of the guide rails for the counterweight is secured, means for securing said second bracket member in a fixed position on said shelf but With provision for independent adjustment thereof in a direction to effect alinement of its guide rail with the other guide rail for the counterweight, and means supporting said shelf member in a fixed position but With provision for adjustment thereof horizontally in a direction to effect alinement of said car-guiding rails.

4. A rail support for elevator structures, said support having in combination, a right-angled shelf member whereof one flange is provided with means for fastening the same fiatwise and vertically against the face of a Wall of the elevator shaft so as to support the other fiange thereof in a horizontal position and so that said shelf member is adjustable horizontally on said Wall; a right-angled bracket member having one fiange thereof disposed horizontally and seated upon the horizontal fiange of the shelf member and the other fiange thereof disposed vertically to support a guide rail in position beyond the horizontal fiange of the shelf member; means rigidly fixing the horizontal flange of said bracket member in position upon the horizontal fiange of the shelf member so that it can be adjusted toward and from the Vertical fiange of the shelf member; means on the Vertical flange of said bracket member for clamping a guide rail thereon; a second right-angled bracket member having one fiange thereof disposed horizontally and seated on the horizontal fiange of the shelf member opposite one end of said first-mentioned bracket member and at right angles thereto and the other flange thereof disposed verticaliy to support a guide rail in position beyond the horizontal fiange of the shelf member; means rigidly fixing the horizontal fiange of said second bracket member in position upon the horizontal fiange of said shelf member so that it can be adjusted toward and from the vertical fiange of the shelf member, and means on the Vertical fiange of said second bracket member for ciamping a guide railthereto.

5. A rail support for elevator structures constructed in accordance With claim 4 and wherein each of said three members is a. section of angle iron.

6. A rail support for elevators oonstructed in accordance With claim 4 wherein each of said three members is a section of angle iron; wherein the horizontal fiange of said shelf member is made with a p-lurality of elongate slots that are disposed approximately at right angles to the Vertical fiange of said member; wherein the horizontal fiange of each of said bracket members is made with elongate slots each of which is parallel and in register With one of the slots of the horizontal fiange of said shelf member, and wherein bolts are provided extending through the registering slots and by which the two bracket members are fixedly clamped to the horizontal fiange of the shelf member.

ADAM D. STRACHAN.

CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 4,273 Reedy Feb. 21, 1871 1,050,235 Scanlan Jan. 14, 1913 1,051,335 King Jan. 21, 1913 1,156,885 Cane Oct. 19, 1915 1370.453 Kilgour Mar. 1, 1921 

